Chavez Falling Short Of Promises

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez appears to be using the democratic process to subvert democracy.

Since he was elected earlier this year, Chavez and his supporters have dismantled Congress, dissolved the Supreme Court and considered firing a few mayors and governors.

Venezuela's president is attacking the country's political institutions in the name of fighting corruption. Chavez was elected by a landslide with a mandate to clean house.

The problem is that Chavez also is eliminating his political opponents. This brings him dangerously close to becoming a dictator without firing a shot or declaring a coup.

Venezuelans should see through Chavez by now. But for the majority of the electorate, the new president can do no wrong.

This is because Venezuelans were sick of their two-party system before Chavez arrived on the scene. The system had produced little more than corrupt leaders and an inefficient government.

Venezuela is an oil-rich nation that also has lots of poor people. For them, the presidential elections had become a contest between the lesser of two evils.

But Venezuelans may have contracted with the devil in their attempt to oust a decrepit political elite.

Shortly after taking office, Chavez persuaded voters to approve a new constitution. The document will be written by a 131-member constitutional assembly. Chavez now operates on the theory that the assembly is the nation's supreme authority. This new body is conveniently dominated by his supporters.

Last week, the assembly moved to strip Venezuela's legislature of most of its power. This prompted street clashes outside the Congress building, where lawmakers had to climb over a fence to try to hold a special session. After scaling a barrier, congressional leader Mireya Rodriguez declared that "Democracy is dying in Venezuela."

To Chavez's credit, he has not seized private property, nationalized businesses or closed newspapers. He has tried to reassure nervous investors that their money is safe in Venezuela.

But Chavez, a former coup leader, is mixing many isms in a bag -- capitalism, socialism and populism. He's shaking this bag and only time will tell what will come out.

All the United States can do for now is watch from the sidelines and encourage Chavez not to destroy the democracy he professes he is trying to save.